How is this possible? "It is surprisingly easy to report a
business as closed in Google Places, the search giant's version of the local Yellow Pages." On Google Places, a section titled "Report a problem" lets anyone make the claim that "this place is
permanently closed." As NYT explains, if enough users click it, the business is labeled "reportedly closed" and later, pending a review by Google, "permanently closed."
Along with rankled business owners, some experts don't think Google is putting sufficient energy into policing Maps and Places. To make the point, a search consultant and blogger named Mike Blumenthal recently "closed" Google's offices in Mountain View, Calif. For a brief period, NYT reports, Google itself was "reportedly closed," according to Places.